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Every morning for the past couple of years, five-year-old Sunny watched children go to school with envy.
He wished he too could put on a uniform, lug a big bag on his shoulders and trudge to school with the other boys. In the afternoon, when everyone returned from school, Sunny was always there by the road to watch them.
But sending him to school was something Sunny's family couldn't afford. So, instead of packing his school bag, Sunny helped his father pick rags for a living.
The skinny little boy, however, had not given up his dreams. A few months ago he asked his father for some books.
"I couldn't say no. I collected some elementary books for him. He was very happy," says Dilip Das, Sunny's father, whose family lives in a makeshift hovel by the Esplanade tube station in downtown Calcutta.
Thereafter, every evening, Sunny made his way to a street lamp by the Esplanade tube station and sat down under it to study. He would try to learn the alphabets on his own and study for hours till his parents called him for dinner.
It wasn't as good as going to school, but the boy was happy nonetheless. Also, that was all Das could do for his son. "I couldn't send him to school. I hardly earn enough to give my family two meals a day. No one in our family has had basic education," he says with a tinge of regret in his voice.
As Sunny turned a portion of the entrance to Esplanade station into his study, passers-by noticed him and appreciated his tenacity. Many said they were reminded of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the 19th century Bengali reformist-scholar, who too lived in poverty and studied under streetlights.
"The boy studied on his own, oblivious to the din and bustle around him. We really appreciate his tenacity," says Buddhiram Sau, a betel shop owner.
It was his perseverance that eventually paid Sunny rich dividends. Among the many passers-by who watched the young boy study was a member of a voluntary organisation.
Convinced of Sunny's interest, Madan Mitra, secretary of the Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Society, spoke to his parents and offered to sponsor his education. The boy was overjoyed.
Sunny's dream finally came true last week, as RGMS admitted him to Milton Day School. Dressed smartly in grey shorts, half-sleeved shirt and a tie, with a big bag slung on his shoulders, Sunny told IANS: "School is very good. I have many friends there."
The boy says he wants to become a soldier when he grows up. "I want to join the army when I finish my studies."
Sunny's teachers say he is sharp. He was first considered for admission into the lower nursery but was eventually taken into upper preparatory after he cleared the admission test with flying colours.
"We are sure this boy will shine in life. Our organisation is just lending a helping hand. In fact, we consider that Sunny should be given a better environment and hence we are considering shifting his family to the RGMS office premises," Mitra told IANS.
Das says his family is grateful to RGMS for what it has already done for Sunny. "If a home comes by on top of that, we can't ask for more," he says.
Indo-Asian News Service
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